Beatty track Team prepares for district meet; girls beat Tonopah

The Hornets ran against four Division I-A schools, Pahrump, Clark, Western and Spring Valley.

In boys track, the boys took fifth place (23), beating out Spring Valley. Clark won the boys meet with 164 points. Pahrump was second (152), Western third (98.5), and Tonopah was fourth (34).

The Beatty girls took fourth place. For the girls, Pahrump finished first (178), Clark second (125), Spring Valley third (76), Tonopah fifth (18) and Western last (15).

Although Beatty placed fourth in this primarily Division I-A meet, beating Tonopah was all that mattered and this is a big difference between the two teams.

According to the Tonopah Coach Christie Eason, the Muckers are having a hard time getting their athletes to do four events. The Beatty coach is not having that problem.

The new Beatty High School track coach, Ellice Dunsterville, pulled an old playbook from former coach Jerry Adcox to beat Tonopah 40-18 in girls track. She placed girls in every event she could.

“I am putting girls where they will perform the best,” Dunsterville said. “Some of them are just so gifted they will perform no matter where you put them. I am trying to switch it up to keep them in good shape.”

Girls track scored in the 300 hurdles. Sophomore Abby Panlaqui took third place (1 minute, 17 seconds) and freshman Clara Garcia took fourth place (1:21.2).

The Lady Hornets did really well in the relays. The girls took third in the 4x100 (1:04) composed of Vanessa Gamboa, Alexi Gil, Jasmin Pelayo and Abby Panlaqui. The girls also took second in the 4x200 (2:22) composed of Anel Gamboa, Vanessa Gamboa, Claudia Granandos and Gil.

The Beatty 4x800 team placed third (13:25), composed of Anel Gamboa, Pelayo, Ariana Osequera and Karina Villanueva. It would be the only 4x800 team from the Southern section and will be going up against Sierra Lutheran, Wells and Smith Valley, which are all Northern teams.

Pelayo took third in the 1,600-meter run (6:26.8).

Alexi Gill took fourth in the triple jump (24-10).

As far as the girls are concerned, we are trying to work with the sprinters and their consistency. I will be curious how we do after Friday, because we have a big meet with 25 schools. The team will be going to Arbor View.

The boys are missing the points generated by Enrique Orozco who was sick prior to spring break and this led to some missed assignments he had to make up. The coach said he should be back soon and against other Division IV teams Orozco is good for 20 to 30 points.

The one thing the boys lack is sprinters of the same caliber as Scotty May of Tonopah. Dunsterville knows this but hopes in Division IV competition to get some points in the sprint events by at least scoring other points.

The boys scored in the shot put. Junior Bryan Ortiz placed second (35 feet 2 inches) and senior Tristin Cann took fifth place (32-10.5)

In the 300 hurdles, freshman Octavio Maldonado placed fifth (57.5) and freshman Christian Donaldson placed sixth (1:00.1).

As far as the boys go, she knows she can get points in events that Tonopah does not have people in like pole vault. Orozco does pole vault.

In this effort to get points for the girls, the coach put Pelayo as a sprinter in the 4x100.

Beatty athletes are known for their ability to overcome hardships and the latest one is the work on the football field, which limits their practices to just the track. The Beatty track is an old gravel track made from decomposed granite.

Dunsterville says this track is actually helping her team to be better.

“It’s almost an advantage because they are running on the gravel,” the coach said. “We end up stronger because it’s easier to run on the newer tracks like Pahrump.”

The coach said Friday is their last meet where they are competing at all levels and in a meeting with her team, Dunsterville told them how they were doing.

“Overall I am seeing some excitement when I told the team where they were and our possibilities,” she said. “Change has been hard. You have a situation where someone has been doing it for years (Adcox) and now you have someone new. I am slowly making it my program. Things will change and get better for myself as a coach.